Bad Santa
by frostfalcon
Summary: This was written for the White Collar H/C advent it fought me the entire way, I kept getting inspiration for every other fandom but White Collar. The Prompt was: Just as Peter and Neal are heading home for the holiday, Neal is suddenly kidnapped by a couple of guys in Santa suits. They look ridiculous but they mean business, and they make sure the FBI knows Neal is at their mercy.


White Collar H/C Advent

Prompt:

**hybridshade** on September 7th, 2013 03:11 am (local)  
**Not-so nice Santa**  
Just as Peter and Neal are heading home for the holiday, Neal is suddenly kidnapped by a couple of guys in Santa suits. They look ridiculous but they mean business, and they make sure the FBI knows Neal is at their mercy until they get what they want.

Naturally, everyone at the office is happy to postpone their vacation plans until Neal is back safe.

OT3 or pre-OT3 preferred.

Notes:

The wrist cuffs in the story are similar to these: .

Frostfalcon

Started on 11/11/2013

"I swear Jones, it was the most bizarre thing, they came out of nowhere and I didn't even suspect anything. I guess it's almost programmed into me… but really who would suspect a band of roving Santa Clauses? I am right Neal? Neal?" Peter looked around and didn't see the other man. "Neal?" he said much louder, still no response. "Jones have you seen Neal?" Peter asked glancing around as much as he could from his position on the floor.

"No, but don't try to get up the paramedics are here and they want to look you over since you were almost trampled by that horde of Jolly Old Souls. I'll see about rounding up Caffrey, he can't have gone far." Jones said with a little bit of a laugh while hoping Peter stayed put and Neal turned up quickly, they all were getting ready to head out for the holiday and stopped at a coffee shop for a little pre-Holiday celebration and such when this horde of Santa's just mobbed the place and in the crush of bodies they got separated. Peter got slammed into a wall and ended up on the floor along with several other people. All the injuries were minor for the most part, Peter's head injury and some lady's broken wrist being the worst of it.

The police and EMT's were called and things were getting sorted out… now if he could just figure out where Caffrey had taken himself off to. Jones went to check the men's room and in the hallway leading past the bathrooms and toward the kitchen he spotted Neal's tie, he headed in that direction and as he got closer he could see fresh marks on the floor and then a dent in the wall with a spot of blood near it. He continued toward the kitchen and then out the rear door into an alley filled with dumpsters and some random piles of trash.

Clinton Jones usually kept his cool but when he found Neal's tracking anklet or rather what was left of it, one of his shoes and the stomped on and slightly bloody hat he turned and kicked over a pile of trash. He dreaded telling Peter what he had found but the sooner he got the place declared a crime scene and got the evidence techs and the rest of the team working on this the sooner they could get Neal back safely and get on with their holiday.

The ambulance crew gave Peter a once over and decided that his injuries weren't too bad and he could follow up with his own doctor as long as he didn't present any other symptoms. Peter stood up gingerly, he ached from the assault and near trampling. He and Neal had been heading towards the counter to place their order when the horde of Santa Clauses had swarmed them and he had gotten a bit roughed up and slammed into the wall before hitting the floor and getting someone's boot to the leg.

He was just finishing up with the EMT and was about to see if Jones had rounded up Neal when his cell rang, he took a quick peek and the screen, the Marshals Service, this couldn't be good. He answered and was informed that Neal's ankle had gone off line. As they were informing him of this Jones walked up holding the remains of Neal's anklet and the damaged, bloody hat.

Peter quickly gave the details to the Marshal and told them they think it was an abduction and not Neal making a break for it. He'd keep them updated and hung up.

"Peter, Neal seems to have vanished. I'm getting the security footage from the manager but it looks like he was taken. I found his tie in the hall and this was with his anklet and a shoe in the alley. There doesn't look like a lot of blood but it doesn't seem like he went willingly."

"I don't think putting an APB on Santa is going to be a big help, especially this time of year. Just from here to the office there has to be at least fifty of them. Whoever did this knew just how to use the season and the fact that Santa is all over to help them fade into the background. I guess it's back to the office and time to call in the reserves." Peter said as he gently took the hat from Jones and handed it to the evidence tech that had just arrived. The man slid it into an evidence bag, Peter was pretty sure there were chain of custody issues but it shouldn't be that big a deal, they just needed to find Neal.

To say Neal was shocked when he was surrounded by a gang of Santa Clauses was a mild way of putting it. He thought it was some sort of joke or flash mob thing right up until the point where they managed to separate him from Peter and force him into the hall. He tried to make his way back to the counter instead of being carried along with the flow of the crowd but one of the Santa Clauses grabbed his tie and tried to use it as a leash until Neal managed to get it off, but then the side f his head with bounced into the wall twice leaving a dent the first time and a little blood the second time. He was a bit dazed by the time the got him out the door and he was tossed roughly to the ground where he struggled to get away as at least four different Saint Nick's held him down while a fifth cut off the anklet, he managed to loose a shoe and his hat before they hauled him upright. He felt the pinch of a needle the world started to get a little fuzzy, he was tossed into the trunk of a waiting car and then he felt the world just go away.

"What do we have so far?" Peter asked while fiddling with a origami swan that Neal had left on his desk.

"Not much, who ever did this really made it hard to tell who they were. Santa Clause is the near perfect disguise this time of year. There are just too many of them and getting descriptions from witnesses was pretty much a waste of time." Diana said as she looked over the photographs of the bloody spot on the wall and the alley where Neal vanished.

"I hate to say this but I'm not even sure where to start on this one. We don't have any hot cases right now, I'm almost hoping for a phone call with demands or something, it would give us a place to start." Jones muttered as he stared out the window, it had started to sleet and the patterns the water was making on the windows held no answers.

Waking up in a small, cold, dark enclosed space wasn't Neal's idea of a great way to start off the day, he tried to move and realized he was bound at the wrists and ankles. He tried to shift to get some leverage to wiggle free and his head protested the action, in fact it seemed unhappy with any sort of movement.

He felt around with his fingertips as best as he could and realized he was in a car trunk, not an optimum location but at least the car wasn't moving. He tried to listen to what was going on outside the car but all he could hear was rain or judging by how cold he felt it could be sleet hitting the somewhere off in the distance, maybe a garage roof? It wasn't hitting the trunk lid so it was probably a roof. He felt like he was bruised all over and had a slightly hung over feeling, sort of like the hazy feeling some sedatives leave behind. He considered the feeling and that's when the whole situation came back to him in shocking clarity… he had been snatched by a gang of Santa Clause's and they weren't particularly jolly old elves, they had been rough and rude and hadn't cared that they hurt him when they grabbed him. Wasn't this just the perfect way to start his holidays? He was supposed to be joining Peter and Elizabeth for a warm, cozy dinner and enjoying the rest of the holiday with them, just the three of them with a bunch of their favorite movies and foods, snuggled up on the couch under a fuzzy blanket, sipping hot mulled cider and just enjoying being together.

It wasn't helping to think of what he should be doing at the moment he had to concentrate on how to get free and back to someplace warm and safe. He felt around a little more and was able to push past the pain to come to the conclusion that in his current state he wasn't going to get free of his bonds but he was sure that he was facing the back side of the rear seat and since he didn't hear anyone he decide to take a chance and wriggled around until he had his back against the rear most part of the trunk and his feet against the seat. He pulled his feet in and then kicked out hard against the back seat of the car, half the seat folded and he could see a little light coming in.

He waited a bit, when no one came to check out the noise he tried to scoot himself into the back seat. It took a lot more time and energy than he really had to spare but adrenaline was keeping him going and it was helping keep the aches and pains bearable for now.

He finally managed to get into the backseat and take a look around, the car was a pretty typical sedan parked in what looked like a private garage or maybe a storage unit. Neal managed to work his way into a seated position and tried to get a better look at how his ankles were secured. In the gloomy lighting he could make out what looked like heavy duty metal ankle cuffs, maybe an inch and a half wide with a small length of thick chain between them and a pretty heavy duty padlock holding each one closed, he could tell that the wrist restraints were metal and there was no chain or anything linking his wrists, what restraints were holding his wrists crossed behind his back had no give to them and he could just about feel the locks holding them closed, someone had been shopping in the high-end BDSM shops it seems and that wasn't good at all. He couldn't get to the lock picks he had easily and the angle at which the locks were placed was all but impossible even if he could get at them.

He sat and rested a little and tried to think of a reasonable next step, he could get out of the car but if someone heard there was no telling how they would react. He almost drifted off as the initial rush of adrenaline wore off but the growing pressure in his bladder kept him from falling asleep. He decided to open the door and get out, it wasn't as if he really could get much worse off and if he could get out maybe he could find a way to get in touch with someone that could get him free and back to his holiday plans, he had three days before Christmas Eve give or take however long he'd been unconscious.

He put his back to the door and managed to work his hands to the handle and open the door. Neal sat still and listened to see it opening the door alerted his captors but no one came so he got out of the car as quietly as he could and took a look around the cement block building? Garage? Whatever this place was… There were a couple of florescent lights on the ceiling, they provided some light but it was dull and one bulb was flickering. There was a what could be a steel door on the wall in front of the car but there was no knob and if it had hardware it was on the other side, he tried pushing at it anyway and it didn't budge and then the garage door seemed to be a metal door that was attached and swung down from the ceiling and bound the way he was there was no way Neal could get it open, he had briefly considered making a lot of noise to attract attention but he didn't want to attract the wrong crowd.

Neal sat on the hood of the car and wondered just who wanted him and why. There were quite a few reasons for him to be taken and that was before you even counted the FBI informant deal, that was a very disturbing thought, Neal felt helpless and out of his depth, he always worked out some sort of plan and even a few back up plans but at the moment he felt overwhelmingly screwed, the only thing he could do would be wait for rescue or his captors. He picked a corner and with a little wiggling and some rubbing up against the wall he got his clothes out of the way enough to relieve his bladder and that was a trick in itself and then got things back in place as well as he could and got back into the backseat of the car and tried to rest and ignore the pain from his head and the aches the rest of his body kept reminding him of. It was like whoever had planned this knew him well enough to counter most of his escape skills, this had to be personal he concluded. He tried to come up with a mental list of who could want him and why, it might help him be prepared for what ever came next. It might not be a plan but it was hopefully getting him closer to having one.

Peter was getting more and more apprehensive as the night passed and morning arrived, he had called El and filled her in and then took a few moments to make sure that Mozzie got the news. He hoped that if they couldn't find Neal Mozzie might be able to turn up a few clues and locate him. Neal couldn't not have just vanished. Someone took him for a reason and they really needed to figure out who so they could all get to work on finding him.

Jones went for a caffeine and sugar run to try and keep everyone awake and focused, he went back to the same coffee shop this entire thing had started in, it was pretty much their teams favorite so it was habit and he knew everyone's orders by heart. He looked closely at the various Santa Clauses he passed, some ringing bells others just doing what ever it is they do when they aren't kidnapping FBI consultants. He managed to pick up their order and manhandle it back to the office. As they were unpacking it they noticed that Neal's usual Italian Roast and favorite flavor biscotti were included along with a small USB drive and a small photo of Neal unconscious in the trunk of a car. Somehow someone had managed to get these items into the bag with the food, it had to have happened at the shop… was someone working there in on it? Maybe now they could start to figure what was going on, Peter and Jones both agreed someone had to check out the staff at the coffee shop, finally they had things to work with, pictures a USB drive and a possible link to the coffee shop.

From the picture Neal looked a bit banged up but nothing life threatening, once they found out what was on the USB drive they could make a better determination for how to plan their next move. They found a lap top that wasn't connected to the FBI's network just in case there was some sort of malware and slid it in. There were quite a few pictures, a video and a text document, the pictures were mostly of Neal and his various injuries and the video was of Neal still bound and in the trunk of the car and a hand with that morning's newspaper, if you looked closely you could see that Neal was breathing so this was the "proof of life" shot.

The text document was a bit more cryptic, it listed an address, a case number and instructions to leave all the evidence from the case file at the address or Neal would only be the first casualty and there was a picture imbedded at the bottom of the document of Elizabeth walking Satchmo from the night before, who ever had taken Neal was watching them and the threat to El was hanging out there.

"Jones, we need to get Elizabeth into protective custody. I'm heading home can you arrange a detail and a safe house? I'm sure Hughes will OK it." Peter said as he grabbed his phone and called El on his way out of the office.

Elizabeth wasn't happy about the possible prospect of Christmas in a FBI safe house with a protective detail but it was better than whatever her mind imagined Neal was suffering through at the moment. After Peter's call she had packed a bag and waited for her husband to get her and Satchmo and deliver them to someplace they would be safe until they got the people responsible for all of this mess.

She was worried about Neal, she hoped that he'd be back safe soon and they could get on with their holiday with all of the family safe and happy. It was their first Christmas together and she was looking forward to snuggling with her boys. She almost wished she could knock someone upside the head for messing up her careful plans to get things moving in the direction they would all enjoy, she knew both of her guys well enough that a little holiday cheer and some gentle encouraging from her and they could all be where they wanted to be.

Neal's nap wasn't happening, as much as he wanted to rest and try to forget about the aches and pains he just couldn't relax or find a comfortable position since his hands inevitably ended up under him. His mind was racing with scenarios and none of them were of any help, he hated to admit it but he needed outside help to get free, he needed Peter… He sat up on the backseat and angled himself so his hands weren't pinned, he wiggled his fingers to keep the circulation going and tried to recall how the sun felt on his face in an effort to ward off the cold.

When he heard the noise at the door he opened his eyes and looked to see who was out there. The door swung out and six men in Santa suits and ski masks walked in, it was a disturbing sight.

"It seems that Agent Burke isn't playing by the rules, we gave him some simple instructions and some incentive and he hasn't complied yet, it's time to send him a clearer message." one of the masked men said as a couple of the others dragged Neal out of the car and held him upright.

One of the others stood back with a camera filming the scene, they cut his clothes off leaving only his boxers and then began to use the knife on his torso and a few vicious punches, generally making a mess of him and making sure that every mark was visible, every drop of blood documented and every sound of his pain captured on camera. When they were done the guys holding him up and still just let go and watched him crumple to the floor.

The one who had spoken gestured and camera guy focused on Neal just laying on the concrete bruised and bleeding. He made sure that Neal's pained groans were picked up by the camera and then turned to film the one that had spoken.

"Agent Burke and company, this is just a little warning. You may have Elizabeth Burke tucked away someplace safe but we still have Mr. Caffrey and the longer you take getting us that evidence the more he suffers. I just want to be clear I can make sure he spends days in agony and if I don't get what I want I'll make sure that you have a copy of everything we've done right up to the point where we finally let him die. I'm sure that isn't something you want on your conscious so just give over the evidence and we can make this all go away in time for the holidays, you now have seventy two hours before Christmas morning. Don't you want for everyone to have a cheerful Christmas? I'm tired of listening to him." He grabbed a Santa hat for someone behind the camera and jammed the fluffy white ball at the tip of the hat into Neal's mouth. "Look at you all decorated or the season!" Then he laughed and gestured and the camera guy stopped recording him and showed Neal still lying on the floor with a small trickle of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth into a very tiny pool on the floor and least the blood that wasn't being absorbed by the hat. They put the camera away and looked at Neal for a bit just laying there panting on the cold concrete.

They picked him up and shoved him back into the car, Neal was glad of that, the floor was very cold and he was all but naked at least the car afforded some warmth. They left him alone again, he could hear the door close, he managed to spit out the fluff ball and finally he was able to sleep or more accurately he passed out.

Peter had gotten the evidence sent up to the conference room and the entire team as well as a few stragglers that had still been in the office were pouring over it to figure out just what made this so important. The case was closed and the guilty party was locked up so nothing should be relevant, there wasn't even an appeal filed. The case was from a few weeks before he had made the deal with Neal so it had nothing to do with him, who ever did this was only using Neal as leverage, Neal was collateral damage and that really pissed Peter off. If he had done something the bad guys should come after him not El or Neal.

There had to be something with the evidence that was important enough to somebody to risk getting caught kidnapping Neal and threatening El and they had to find it and figure out who had Neal and how to get him back safely without giving up whatever these guys were looking for. So far they had nothing but a growing annoyance with this entire thing starting with the flock of Santa Clauses.

They worked on sorting out the evidence baggies and there were a few things that hadn't been on the list for what was in the box, could these inconsistent bits be what they were after? And how had they ended up in the wrong box? They separated out six items that weren't supposed to be there, they were all labeled with the same file number at that file was still open. Peter was sure this was what the men that snatched Neal were hoping to get, but that opened up the question of how did these items get put in the wrong box and how did the Santa gang know what box they ended up in… there had to be someone on the inside working with them and that would complicate things, Peter had no clue which agent or even the file clerk he couldn't trust.

"Diana, Jones we have a problem." He called over the two people he was sure had nothing to do with this and gave them his thoughts. They pretty much agreed that they had to be careful in case the inside guy was still around.

Diana was researching the case the extra evidence should have been with and it wasn't even their unit's case, it was Organized Crime's and the lead agent was Ruiz. This wasn't what she had been hoping for. She knew Ruiz wasn't exactly fond of Neal but it would be too obvious if he had anything to do with this… but the rest of his team were still suspect and if one of them was working on the inside to prevent the closure of this case it would look mighty enticing to throw suspicion on Ruiz and maybe screw up the evidence so much that the case Organized Crimes was working on stalled. Once they figured this out and got Neal back she'd have to tell Mozzie, he'd have a field day with conspiracy theories.

"Peter I think I may be able to help untangle this." She said waving him over. "This belongs to the case Ruiz is building against Desmond Logan and his network, now if it were to somehow end up inadmissible the entire case could go down the drain. What if someone on Ruiz's team is part of Logan's network and was trying to sabotage the case and make Ruiz look dirty at the same time?" She suggested.

"Plausible, that could be an angle. Say whoever is trying to screw up the case was supposed to take the evidence and was spotted so they toss the stuff into a nearby box and remember the case number. They need to get the evidence back so they look up the case number and then arrange for the Santa Flash Mob to cover grabbing one of our team since it was our case their stuff ended up with. They grab Neal because he's the one not armed." Peter added as they brainstormed.

"This all sounds very confused but it's all I can think of that fits the circumstances and looking over the notes on Desmond Logan it fits that he'd get to someone in the FBI. We just need to figure out who he has in this office." Jones added looking over the notes lying on the table.

"No we don't, that's not our priority, Neal is our first concern. Ruiz and his team can figure out how to find the snake in their midst we need to track down where Logan's guys have Neal stashed and get him back. Look into properties associated with Logan and try to narrow down where which one could be where they are holding Neal. We need to get this wrapped up, I'd like to put a bow on it before Christmas Eve so we can all be home for the holiday. If you see Ruiz send him to my office I'm going to make a few calls." Peter ordered as he headed to his office and shut the door.

Diana and Jones watched him go and looked at each other. Peter was worried and angry, they shared a look and were glad they weren't on his shit list. They almost pitied Logan and his band of merry Santa suited thugs Peter was going to find a way to get Neal back, help Ruiz clean house and probably find a way to break Logan's network into tiny pieces and put them in some hole of a federal prison. No one messed with Neal and God help whoever made threats again El. There would be no mercy if Peter had his way and they would back him up all the way.

Ruiz was waved over by Jones and after a moment headed to Peter's office. Peter was on his cell phone and hung up when he saw Ruiz.

"Agent Ruiz, no doubt you've heard about Neal going missing since you and a few of your team were helping us figure this out. I have something I need to tell you but you can't tell your team." Peter filled Ruiz in on the details that had come up with so far and Peter could see the just when Ruiz caught on to the idea that his team may have a problem.

"Thanks for letting me know, I have a few ideas and I can help narrow down the locations they may be holding Neal. We've been trying to make a case for a while and it's all pretty fresh in my mind. Describe the background on the video and let's see where we can look for Caffrey."

They put their heads together and soon had Jones and Diana all huddled over files around Peter's desk.

Finally after a few to El to reassure her Peter, his team, Ruiz and Mozzie via cell phone had narrowed down the possible places that Logan could be holding Neal to three very strong probable places and one that was possible but unlikely. They were going to observe each place and hope that Logan had Neal at one of them and not someplace totally unrelated. They carefully picked out a few agent's that were still in the office and were above the possibility of being in Logan's network, Ruiz had let Peter know that until he got his team sorted out he'd suggest not using any of them.

Mozzie was able to take a look at one of the properties and have a trusted friend look over the remote possibility and called to say that there wasn't any way Neal was at either and he was heading over to one of the two remaining locations.

Ruiz took a team of agents and Peter a team including his people and they each headed out to find Neal, they were hoping that he'd be at one of the two remaining places, both were warehouses, one was by the river and one by a train yard. Mozzie was meeting Peter at the river location and Ruiz was going to the train yard, he might not be a huge Caffrey fan but he felt partially responsible for getting him into this as it was the problem with his team that probably set this in motion.

When Neal became aware again he noticed it was freezing, they had left him practically naked, bound and the only real comfort he had was that he wasn't sprawled on the concrete floor. He had lost all sense of time and just tried to just keep trying to work out how to get free. He wasn't coming up with any brilliant plans and he was really pretty certain that without some sort of miraculous rescue he wasn't getting out of this latest disaster alive. He knew that whatever they had broken inside him when they made that video for Peter was pretty serious, he had felt something give and the pain was getting worse not tapering off.

They must have hit his head again too since it felt like there was something wrong, maybe that was the problem with figuring out an escape plan? It was like his ability to think was washing in and out like waves on a beach. He could smell blood and other things he'd rather not think about, in fact maybe he was just going to give up thinking for now and pray to pass out. That was a plan he could deal with at the moment, he shifted to try and take some of the weight off his hands and that movement was just what he needed, the resulting pain from that little movement answered his prayers and he lost consciousness.

Peter picked the river location because although he didn't like the implications of the river being the fast and easy way to dispose of a body, it was the logical one and he was sure that even if Logan got what he was after Neal wasn't going to be returned. Peter was counting on getting to Neal before Logan's deadline in hopes he hadn't killed him and dumped the body in the river. They were pretty sure that Logan wasn't even aware they had figured out it was his crew yet so time was hopefully on their side. They just needed to catch a break and get Neal to safety and then Ruiz and whoever else got involved could work on cleaning up the mess, it was their case and their team that needed to be cleaned out. Peter just wanted Neal back where he belonged, on his couch along with El and Satchmo so they could all enjoy their Christmas together. Peter was sure even if they did find Neal that plan was ruined but as long as Neal was found they could make a new plan.

They cleared the warehouse and found some suspicious crates but nothing that led them to think Neal was ever there, he hoped that Ruiz was having better luck.

Ruiz and a few random agents they had picked up from the office were quietly entering the warehouse near the train yard, it was further out than the one by the river but it looked like there was something going on inside.

They paused to listen at the door, there were muffled voices coming from inside but they couldn't tell what was being said and how many people were there.

Ruiz looked at them hastily cobbled together team, none of them were agents he was used to working with but not being able to trust any of his usual team at the moment it was the best they could do. He made a few gestures and they got prepared to breach the building.

It went as smoothly as it did in the textbook and training exercises, not one of Logan's men put up any resistance, in a way Ruiz was a bit disappointed he really did want to make someone hurt for the pain Neal was going through as well as the crap he was going to have to deal with while cleaning house within his team, not to mention making sure that all they had done was correctly documented so nothing got tossed out of court since he was going to make sure Logan and company got all they deserved.

They found the car and inside it Neal, he was a mess. He was lying curled in the back seat the bloody Santa hat they had gagged him with made the scene more horrific it was supposed to be a symbol of fun and children's dreams and there it was soaking up the blood of one of the most alive men Ruiz had ever met, it was an affront to the entire season.

They already had an ambulance and more agents in route. It was time to call Burke and get him involved, Ruiz reached out a tentative had to feel for a pulse, Neal looked like he was dead and his skin was chilled but after a few seconds Ruiz felt it, slow and not to steady but it was there, he was alive… he was a mess, but he hadn't died. The medics had just arrived and they rushed in and Ruiz turned and got out of the way and took out his phone. He spared a few moments for a silent prayer for Neal and dialed agent Burke's number.

"Burke, we got Neal and some of the crew, you need to get to the hospital." Ruiz said as his team secured the scene and watched the ambulance crew load up Neal and take off.

"How bad?" Peter asked apprehensive but glad Ruiz said to get to the hospital, hospital meant Neal was alive.

"Bad, you need to get there." Ruiz said vehemently hoping Peter would get the significance and move his ass.

"Thanks for letting me know, I'm leaving now." Peter said and they both hung up.

Peter filled in his team including Mozzie who happened to arrive shortly after they determined that no one was at their location. The call had assured Peter the Neal hadn't been tossed into the frigid Hudson River but Ruiz's tone of voice did leave him worried as he quickly let everyone know Neal had been found and they could head back to the office and get all the necessary stuff done and then head home for whatever was left of the holiday.

He waved Jones, Diana and Mozzie over and they all headed to the hospital to check on Neal. He also gave El a quick call to update her and get the agent's that were keeping her secure to bring her to the hospital since she had insisted the she had to be there.

The hospital was busy but the staff knew exactly who they were there for as soon as they started tying to explain why they were there and small group was herded into a waiting room to wait for news. Peter had the office e-mail Neal's relevant documents over so they would have it on file including his next of kin information. Peter wanted to make sure everything was handled so he could concentrate on Neal. Waiting was everyone's least favorite thing but as long as they were waiting it meant Neal was hanging on. None of them had gotten a look and Ruiz hadn't said anything about his condition but considering what they had seen it was likely Neal wasn't in great shape.

A nurse wandered over with a bag of items they had collected from Neal. She handed them over to Peter, who knew they needed to go into evidence but he couldn't help but peek in and see that even though the bag was heavy all that it contained were a pair of boxers covered in blood, ankle restraints and this unusual type of wrist restraints, Peter in all his days of law enforcement had never seen anything like it, all one piece and designed to hold someone's wrists crossed with the locking part out of reach. All he could think of was how even fully healthy and in top condition it would have been nearly impossible for Neal to have gotten himself out of that. Peter sent a quick text to the office to have someone come collect the items and log them in.

"What is taking so long?" Mozzie asked as he paced around the room looking very uncomfortable.

"Relax, it takes as long as it's going to take. Neal is in good hands we just need to be patient since there isn't anything else we really can do." El tried to calm Mozzie down but it wasn't really helping because she was feeling the same anxiety but was just hiding it better.

Jones and Diana had picked up some coffee and snacks to keep everyone going before they headed back to the office to take care of things so Peter didn't have to. They were feeling on edge too but at least they could do some good at the office and Peter would call with any updates. When they got the office Ruiz was just arriving with Desmond Logan in cuffs, while they were clearing the warehouse they had found enough evidence to get an arrest warrant and the guys they captured were all talking and had even given up Agent Austin as their inside woman.

They updated Peter and were able to send home the agents in El's protective detail so all that they had to concern themselves with was Neal and they still hadn't heard a peep about his condition.

They felt like they had been waiting forever when a doctor entered the waiting area and looked at the three of them sitting together.

"You're here with Mr. Caffrey?" he asked.

Peter nodded, the doctor started off with just how serious Neal's condition was and that they were able to take care of the more serious injuries and get him stabilized enough to start taking care of the less serious injuries but it was going to be a while. He suggested they go home and get some rest since there was no chance that they'd be able see Neal for several hours at least. Peter was about to protest but El intervened.

"Peter, we should at least go home get some real food, check on Satchmo and get cleaned up. We can't do any good here at the moment but we need to get the guest room in order and maybe take care of a few other things because when they do get Neal fixed up and ready to leave, no matter how long it takes he's going to be at home where we can keep an eye on him." El stated and Peter could see her point since he wasn't about to let Neal out of his sight once they got to see him.

Even Mozzie headed out back to which ever place he was staying, most likely it was Neal's place but who knew?

"Mozzie, could you maybe get some of Neal's things together so once we know what's going on we can be prepared to make him comfortable and take care of him?" El asked and Mozzie gave her a half smile and was glad to be of help.

Peter headed back to the hospital several hours later as he hadn't heard anything and there wasn't anything else he could do, he convinced El to stay home and take care of things there, she made him promise to keep her up to date no matter how good or bad the news may be.

It wasn't until he was walking back into the waiting room that it occurred to him it was Christmas eve. He had no clue where the past few days had gone, worry and searching for Neal had taken longer than he thought it had. He knew there was no way they were going to have Christmas dinner with Neal, he had known that from the moment they got the picture and video but he didn't realize that they might not have New Year's with Neal. Neal always seemed larger than life with more lives than a cat but this time it was different, this time Peter wasn't sure Neal was going to be fine and that hurt a lot more then he had thought it would. Somehow Neal had managed to work his way into Peter's heart almost as deeply as Elizabeth had. He was pretty sure his wife was feeling almost the same way, she had thought she was being subtle with how she was trying to get Neal into their lives but Peter had caught on and was on board with it as long as Neal was feeling as deeply for them, he prayed they still would have the chance to find out. Neal had to be alright otherwise the Burke household might never be the same. All of this worry and pain because of some after work coffee shop celebration, a Santa flash mob and one agent from Organized Crime that was actually part of a criminal network it just made his head spin.

He was curious how it had been arranged as there had been four or five Santa's involved in the kidnapping but the coffee shop had at least fifteen, maybe as many as twenty that day. He put that thought aside as he checked in with the front desk to see if there were any updates, they said they would call be he had to be sure. All he got was that Neal was in the operating room and they would let him know when they had news, it was back to waiting.

Peter was sitting in the waiting room zoned out and lost in thought when a different doctor approached him.

"Mr. Burke, I wanted to update you on Mr. Caffrey's condition if you'd come with me?" He asked.

Peter followed the doctor to a small corner where they could get a small measure of privacy.

"As you are aware Mr. Caffrey was brought in with a number of injuries, most were exacerbated by the cold temperature and were not helped at all by his being bound." The doctor sighed and all Peter could think is this is when he tells me Neal died and there was nothing they could do.

"He is a very strong man and was in good shape before this happened and I'm sure that is a factor in his survival. Examining him initially wasn't helped at all by the fact that he was bound and it took a while to release his arms from the device that had been used, it looks like he may have struggled against his bonds very hard as his shoulder was dislocated and the skin of his wrists and ankles was torn and bleeding." The doctor continued and Peter was so relieved at hearing the words continued survival that he almost missed the next few words the doctor said.

"If Mr. Caffrey makes it though the next day we are hopefully that he will, given time make a full recovery. The next day is going to be important as we are concerned about infections and the effect the cold had on his system before we could bring his core temperature back up to where to should have been. Over all he lost a significant amount of blood to internal bleeding from a nick in his liver. He has several broken ribs, one of which damaged his left lung, his left shoulder was dislocated, his wrists were for lack of a better term a mess, he has several lacerations, knife wounds and contusions, he was dehydrated and he most likely has a concussion. There are a number of other things but they are minor and should correct themselves as he gets rest and a chance to heal." The doctor wasn't going into all of the details as there was just so many injuries and one or two of those by themselves would have been no big deal but all of them together left Neal barely hanging on.

It was a wait, pray and see how things play out sort of situation, the next day without complications could mean the world or one more thing added into an already stressed to the breaking point body could mean the end of his friend. Peter was scared and he wasn't sure how to react or how to tell El and Mozzie without making them even more worried than they were, none of them were great with waiting.

Peter gave El a call and give her the bare bones of Neal's condition, he didn't want to go into the details and she promised that she would update Mozzie. Peter paced around the hospital and then called the office to let Jones and Diana know what was going on. They filled him in on the happenings there and said they'd keep in touch while they were home for the holiday and as soon as there was more news on Neal they wanted to know.

Peter found himself just wandering around the neighborhood the hospital was in, when he spotted a few of the sidewalk Santa's getting hot pretzels from a street cart and it gave him a shiver down his spine. He hoped that it was just a temporary things because a Santa-phobia would be the last thing he needed. He was sure that Neal would know the exact term for Santa-phobia he went back inside to the waiting room where it was warm and he might be able to get a little more news. It was crowded but that was the nature of hospitals in New York especially around the holidays.

He sat down on one of the chairs and tried to relax, he should probably head home and wait with his wife but he had to be here just in case the worst should come to pass. He must have drifted off to sleep at some point because he woke with El's face right in front of his and her hand gently shaking his shoulder.

"It's Christmas morning, I thought I should spend it with you. I have some coffee and a bear claw for you." She handed him a white paper bag with a pastry and held out the coffee for him.

"Thanks, sorry for not coming home last night I must have fallen asleep and not realized the time." He said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it, I was going to come today anyway, just because we aren't home doesn't mean we can't spend Christmas together. Now come on I found out from the doctor that Neal is in ICU and we can have a quick visit. He also said that he's doing better than they had anticipated and they are encouraged. They are still worried about complications but it's looking better for his recovery." She led Peter to the elevators and up to see Neal.

Neal was pale and hooked up to all sorts of monitors and machines but he was alive and that was enough for Peter at the moment. It was the first time he had actually seen Neal since the kidnapping and if he wasn't so happy just to see him breath he'd have been angry as hell to see the marks and damage done to him. Watching his chest rise and fall was one of the best sights he'd seen in days.

They spent their allotted ten minutes just watching Neal continue to breath. It was one of the best and worst Christmas gifts ever. Neal hurt was right up there with one of the worst things that could happen, but Neal alive and heading towards recovery was one of the best.

They had to leave but they would be back.

Every day they would spend what ever time they were allowed with Neal, they could see the improvements and the healing slowly making headway and when they arrived for their first visit of the day on December thirty first they were shown to a different room, most of the equipment was still there but Neal looked so much better. The doctors were still worried about the head injury and the fact that he hadn't really woken up, he'd opened his eyes for brief periods but in wasn't really waking up and being coherent. Compared to what he looked like when he arrived it was amazing progress and everyone kept hoping that the next time he opened his eyes he'd be there, not just blinking and closing them again.

El was sitting by the bed with Peter leaning against the back of the chair, it was the last day of the year and when Neal's eyes opened and blinked they hadn't thought too much of it. This time however he actually looked at them and didn't drift off again. He opened his mouth and tried to say something but it was too difficult to take in a full breathe.

Peter noticed and hit the call button as Neal was starting to look around and get panicky when he couldn't form words. El reached out and held his hand and they both spoke to him letting him know that he was fine and a nurse would be along shortly. The nurse came in and saw Neal look over at her and said she'd alert the doctor and left.

"Sweetie, it's good to see you really back with us, it's been a while. We've all been worried, once the doctor looks you over I'll give Mozzie a call and let him know how you're doing." El said as she stroked Neal's hand and looked at him, she could see he was a little more relaxed, the initial stress of waking up in an unknown place was wearing off.

Peter smiled seeing Neal awake and responding to them. It had been too long since he'd seen recognition and understanding in Neal's eyes and now that it was back he knew for sure Neal was going to recover, before he had still had that little hint of doubt lurking in the back of his mind, the one that said Neal wasn't going to wake up fully and that there had been something that was missed by the doctors, but now that doubt was proven wrong and Neal seemed to be more and more with it the longer he was awake.

The doctor arrived and saw that Neal was awake and smiled. "It's good of you to join us Mr. Caffrey. Let's take a look at you and maybe get you caught up." He said as he did a check of Neal's vital signs and such.

"Looking good, I'll give you a quick run down of how you are and what is going to happen next in your recovery and I'm sure your friends can fill in what happened to you. Shall we begin?" and the doctor outlined his injuries, how his treatment was going, the concerns about his recovery and the timeline for approximately when he'd be released.

Neal tried to follow but soon he was drifting back off to sleep. Peter and El looked on quietly and the Doctor assured them that rest was pretty much what Neal needed at the moment but it was a good thing that he had been awake and aware.

The next couple of weeks were a lot of boring times spent lying around his hospital bed when he wasn't being tortured by various therapists but finally he was getting released and even though it meant the anklet was going back on it was a small enough thing that it hardly mattered, he was going to be spending some time staying in Peter and El's guest room but he was getting free of the hospital. Once he had gotten the entire story of what had happened from Peter he had just sat there and tried to piece the memories he had into the story of his time in Logan's warehouse and he was actually rather glad that there were fairly large chunks of time missing, it hadn't sounded like something he wanted to remember.

When Peter helped into the house the first thing he saw were all the Christmas decorations still up, he knew it was mid-January and looked over at El.

"We held Christmas for you. It wouldn't have been the same and we had plans and just because we had to delay them somewhat doesn't mean we can't still have our holiday. Let's get you to the couch and I'll grab you a hot chocolate and some cookies and we can relax and open the gifts!" She said as Peter got him settled on the couch and tucked a fuzzy throw around him.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, as soon as you're back up to speed we're going to have to catch someone doing something they shouldn't." Peter said with a smile, it was nice having Neal safe and home with them. Now it finally felt like the holidays were here and they could celebrate even if they were a few weeks late, and El could work on her not so secret plans to get them all involved.

Hopefully they'd really be together and healthy in time to celebrate Saint Valentine's day in a fun manner, just the three of them.


End file.
